These 3-Ingredient Anti-Inflammatory Brownie Recipes Are Packed with Protein (2024)

One way to instantly score brownie points with someone you’re trying to sweeten up (including yourself)? Make a big ol’ batch of brownies, of course.

In an effort to make that as easy as possible—imagine: a chaos-free kitchen without flour and measuring cups strewn across the countertops and a mountain of messy dishes in the sink—we’ve rounded up a series of tasty three-ingredient or less brownie recipes that take the guesswork out of baking. Each of these bars are made with ingredients you likely already have on hand, too, meaning that impromptu baking sessions are more than welcome and highly encouraged.

Best part: Every single one of the easy brownie recipes below is loaded with nutritional benefits, including antioxidants, protein, and fiber. What's not to love?

4 ultimate nutrient-dense easy brownie recipes for every occasion

These 3-Ingredient Anti-Inflammatory Brownie Recipes Are Packed with Protein (1)

1. Chewy Chocolate Brownies

First things first, let’s start with a plain and simple three-ingredient chewy brownie recipe by Kirbie’s Cravings. It’s made with unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and egg whites—(yep, that’s it)— and still tastes rich, decadent, and incredibly chocolatey.

According to researchers, chocolate has been scientifically linked to boosting longevity and serving as a natural mood booster. Say. No. More. But before we bolt to the candy aisle at the store, keep in mind that it’s the cocoa in chocolate that contains the most antioxidants thanks to itsflavonoid content. To that end, dark chocolate (and cocoa powder) will have a higher concentration of cocoa, as opposed to white or milk chocolate. Cocoa also contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help inhibit or delay cellular damage either combating free radicals in the body.

All to say, these brownies that are made with cocoa powder have it all: Taste, benefits, and require minimal effort to make. Talk about a triple whammy.

Get the recipe: 3-Ingredient Chewy Brownies

These 3-Ingredient Anti-Inflammatory Brownie Recipes Are Packed with Protein (3)

2. Black Bean Brownies

We’re all for finding simple ways to turn some of our favorite foods into a slightly better version of themselves. In today’s iteration of this, we’ve discovered that you can easily turn a boxed brownie mix into a glowed-up, high-protein version with just one simple ingredient: beans (another longevity-boosting essential). But, as the saying goes, don’t knock it ‘till you try it. Indeed, this recipe two-ingredient black bean brownie recipe by Simple Nourished Living deserves all of the hype.

To make these high-protein brownies, the recipe developer blends a can of black beans into a puree before adding it to the boxed brownie mix. The moisture from the beans helps to bind the dry ingredients together, which transforms into a delicious, decadent dessert packed with protein and fiber. Geeee-nius.

Get the recipe: 2-Ingredient Black Bean Brownies

@leah.roga An easy single-serve dessert idea! #healthydessertrecipes #highproteindessert #healthybrownies #proteinfudge #proteinbrownie #anabolicrecipe #healthytreats #guiltfree #proteinpowder ♬ Slidin' - Jason Derulo

3. High-Protein Brownie Fudge

Pressed for time? Looking for a quick and easy single-serve recipe? Say no more. In a recent TikTok video by @leah.roga, we discovered by far the easiest way to get a brownie fix minus the fuss. Enter: High-protein brownie fudge. To make it, Leah combines a mashed banana, five tablespoons of cacao powder, and a scoop of protein powder (she uses a chocolate cupcake-flavored one). Then, she stirs all of the ingredients together before baking it in a small ramekin at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Before you know it, you have a delicious DIY brownie fudge recipe for one with nearly 24 grams of protein that takes potentially less time to make than it does to eat.

Get the recipe: High-Protein Brownie Fudge

These 3-Ingredient Anti-Inflammatory Brownie Recipes Are Packed with Protein (4)

4. No-Bake Breakfast Brownies

Don’t have access to an oven (read: it’s currently occupied with an avalanche of pots and pans)? Want to eat brownies for breakfast? We’ve got you covered on both accounts with this no-bake breakfast brownie recipe by Hungry Happens that’s the best of both worlds. It’s made by combiniang softened Medjool dates (hi, potassium!), protein-packed peanut butter, and cacao powder. Best part? They take no longer than 30 minutes flat—from start to finish—to make. And, of course, you can enjoy these for lunch, dinner, or snacktime, too. Who’s judging? Certainly not us.

Get the recipe: 3-Ingredient No-Bake Breakfast Brownies

One decadent black bean brownie recipe coming right up:

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Tags: Food and Nutrition, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Snack Ideas

These 3-Ingredient Anti-Inflammatory Brownie Recipes Are Packed with Protein (2024)

FAQs

What are the three types of brownies? ›

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

What is in store bought brownie mix? ›

Sugar, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Canola And/Or Soybean Oil, Corn Starch, Salt, Baking Soda, Natural And Artificial Flavor.

What can be added to box brownie mix? ›

Here's what you need to make box brownies taste homemade:
  1. Butter – Boxed brownie mix typically calls for vegetable oil. ...
  2. Espresso powder – Intensifies the chocolate flavor. ...
  3. Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds rich flavor to brownies.
  4. Eggs – Most brownie mixes call for one whole egg.
Aug 23, 2023

Why are they called S * * * * * brownies? ›

Just one month after Amanda shared her dessert creation, she posted a recipe for a cookie-brownie hybrid similar to Amanda's and wrote, “They're called slu*tty Brownies because they're oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy.” Her post ended with the introduction of “#slu*ttybrownie.” A mashup of already beloved ...

What is the number 1 brownie mix? ›

Best Overall Brownie Mix: Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix. When you want a delicious brownie for a baking emergency—or just to treat yourself—look no further than a box of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownies.

What's the difference between a fudge brownie and a brownie? ›

Cake brownies are as the names suggests more cake like in texture. They have an open cake style aerated structure. Fudgy brownies on the other hand are richer, deeper and more dense in structure. A fudgy brownie may have a cake like open or cracked texture at the top but remains gooey and viscous in the centre.

What is the difference between cake like brownies and regular brownies? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

What is the difference between fudgy brownies and cake brownies? ›

While still moist, you can expect cakey brownies to have a center that's more fluffy and less soft and gooey than fudgy or chewy brownies. Additionally, the butter and sugar are usually creamed together, rather than starting with melted butter or oil.

Are Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker brownies better? ›

Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker fell in the middle of the pack — neither were bad, but Duncan Hines' brownies were a little too chewy for my taste, and Betty Crocker's were a bit too sweet. But I could see both mixes making many people happy.

What kind of brownies does Chick Fil A use? ›

From all of my research, I have come to the conclusion that Chick-Fil-A gets their brownies from a company called David's Cookies. So if you really want the absolute exact thing, you can order them from there.

What does adding an extra egg to brownie mix do? ›

They give brownies a lighter, drier, and more cake-like texture. If you prefer this over the chewy variety, then go ahead and crack in that additional egg. On the other hand, too many eggs will yield brownies that are hard, heavy, and tough.

How to jazz up boxed brownies? ›

Adding a layer of cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, caramel, or peanut butter goes a long way towards turning a mix into something special. You can add this layer before or after baking the brownies.

Why do you put sour cream in brownies? ›

If this idea gives you pause, take a moment to consider the properties of sour cream before dismissing it. It's thick, creamy, and slightly tangy. Adding it to brownies introduces extra liquid and fat, which logically results in extra moist and rich brownies.

How many types of brownies are there? ›

There are three distinct types of brownie recipes — fudgy, chewy, and cakey — and they each bring something a little different to the table.

What is the old version of brownies? ›

Did you know that Brownies were originally called 'Rosebuds'? Rosebuds was established in 1914 for girls to join before they became Guides. Just one year later, the name was changed to Brownies. Brownies are the second-youngest members of the Girlguiding family, for girls aged between 7 and 10.

What's the difference between fudgy and cakey brownies? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

What are brownies classified? ›

Brownies are not classified as cakes – this is a very interesting point about the brownie. The reason for this is that although the texture is similar to cakes, it is classed as finger food (whereas usually cake is eaten with a fork), therefore they are categorised as a cookie bar (in America).

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